Personally, I, along with many other users of Derby Bus Station find it absolutely ridiculous that, on top of all the taxes we pay for the upkeep of public services and buildings, we are charged an additional fee of 50p to use the toilet facilities. This station is a public building, and we firmly believe that access to basic amenities such as toilets should be free of cost.

In the United Kingdom, most public toilets are free to use. Yet, in Derby Bus Station, the decision to impose a toilet charge of 50p puts unnecessary hardship on passengers, especially lower-income households. The United Nations recognizes sanitation as a human right (United Nations, 2010) and considers the lack of access to sanitation as not only a violation of human dignity but also a risk to public health.

In this context, charging for the use of toilets in a public station is counterintuitive and unjust. We, the users of Derby Bus Station, request an end to this practice, allowing free access to the toilet facilities in the station. The quality of a public service is judged by its accessibility—not the fees it generates. Please sign this petition to voice your support for ending the 50p charge for toilet use at Derby Bus Station.